After massive defeat, Gujarat Cong in-charge Raghu Sharma resigns; Thakor may follow suit

• Jignesh Mevani thanks people of Vadgam for giving him ‘a positive mandate’

NE NEWS SERVICE

AHMEDABAD, NEW DELHI, DEC 8

Gujarat Congress in-charge Raghu Sharma resigned, taking moral responsibility of the party’s defeat in the state assembly polls, party office-bearers said on Thursday.

I thank the people of Vadgam for giving me a positive mandate. This victory shows the trust and faith bestowed upon me by my constituents. This also brings upon me the responsibility to further the cause of the poor and marginalized sections of the society. pic.twitter.com/A1LKEsKPcQ

— Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) December 8, 2022

Sharma had led the so-called ‘silent campaign’ against the BJP and new poll entrant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the state.

“Taking moral responsibility for the unexpected defeat, Sharma has resigned as in-charge of the state Congress,” sources in the Gujarat party unit said.

State Congress president Jagdish Thakor is also likely to follow soon, they added.

Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said despite the party’s hard work, the loss was unprecedented.

“We will take stock of the situation, he said.

हम गुजरात के लोगों का जनादेश विनम्रतापूर्वक स्वीकार करते हैं।

हम पुनर्गठन कर, कड़ी मेहनत करेंगे और देश के आदर्शों और प्रदेशवासियों के हक़ की लड़ाई जारी रखेंगे।

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) December 8, 2022

We accept mandate of people: Rahul Gandhi

Breaking his silence on the Gujarat election results, Rahul Gandhi remarked, “We humbly accept the mandate of the people of Gujarat. We will reorganize, work hard and continue fighting for the ideals of the country and the rights of the people of the state.”

We will continue to fight: Kharge on Gujarat loss

Speaking about his party’s poor performance in the Gujarat polls, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge opined, “We will accept our defeat. We will congratulate the ones who have won. We will continue to fight. In a democracy, wins and losses happen. It’s our ideological fight. We will correct our shortcomings.”

गुजरात की जनता ने जो जनादेश दिया है, वो हम बड़ी विनम्रता से स्वीकार करतें हैं।

हम एक सजग विपक्ष की भूमिका में गुजरात के 7 करोड़ बहन-भाइयों के रोज़मर्रा के मुद्दे उठाते रहेंगे।

हम संगठन को नए सिरे से मज़बूत करेंगे, ये हमारा वादा है।

અમે ગુજરાતના દરેક નાગરિક સાથે છીએ.

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) December 8, 2022

Congress president Thakor blames AAP & AIMIM

Speaking to the media, Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor remarked, “It is true that AAP & Asaduddin Owaisi were one of the reasons behind the vote cut (of Congress) during the polls. We’ll hold a meeting soon to analyze the shortcomings. I hope the next govt will fulfill its promises.”

Mevani thanks Vadgam voters for giving him ‘a positive mandate’

Dalit leader and Vadgam’s sitting MLA Jignesh Mevani retained his Vadgam seat, which he had won as an independent candidate in 2017.

Mevani, who was trailing BJP’s Manibhai Vaghela earlier in the day, managed to win the seat even as the Congress registered its worst-ever performance in Gujarat.

Taking to Twitter, he thanked the people of Vadgam for giving him “a positive mandate”.

“This victory shows the trust and faith bestowed upon me by my constituents. This also brings upon me the responsibility to further the cause of the poor and marginalized sections of the society,” he wrote.

Mevani has emerged as one of the most prominent Congress leaders in the state after formally joining the party earlier this year.

Vadgam is a reserved seat for the scheduled castes (SCs), where Muslim voters play a decisive role. Muslim voters, estimated to be around 90,000, account for a third of Vadgam’s 2.94-lakh electorate. There are about 44,000 Dalit voters and 15,000 Rajputs. The rest comprise mostly OBCs.